Weeks after recusing herself from the felony prosecution of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx sent texts to her second-in-command about the case, saying it appeared the office was “overcharging” the actor.

Staff made the decision to euthanize the North American river otter pup after his health declined over the weekend. “This was an enormously hard decision to make,” said Bill Zeigler of the Chicago Zoological Society.

A viewer says her uncle used to swipe eggs from a factory in Bronzeville in the 1940s or ‘50s. Chicago history eggs-pert Geoffrey Baer has the surprising answer to that and other questions in this encore edition of Ask Geoffrey.

On Thursday, officials are due to certify the results of too-close-to-call runoff races in three Chicago wards. Will a longtime political dynasty lose its council clout? Our politics team digests the top stories of the week.